The auto club says prices have dropped slightly following the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Towson, Md (KM) The cost of filling up is not expected to be a problem for residents heading out to their holiday destinations this month.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says demand for gas has been declining for quite some time. “Since the end of October, gasoline demand has mostly decreased as gasoline stocks have mostly increased, which is paving the way for cheaper gas prices,” says Jeanette Tejada de Gomez, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “AAA expects the stocks to continue to grow and drive gas prices even cheaper through the year end.”
Currently, the average price of gasoline in Maryland is $2.46 per gallon, according to AAA, which is two cents less than the previous week, and four-cents less than a month ago. In Frederick, the auto club says the average price at the pump is $2.44 per gallon, a decline of three-cents from the previous week, and seven-cents from a month ago. Nationally, the average is $2.58 per gallon, which is unchanged the previous week.
AAA says the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, as of Friday, December 6th, is $59.20 per barrel, an increase from the previous week of $55.17 per barrel.
On Thursday of last week, OPEC and Russia agreed to cut production by an additional 500,000 barrels per day beginning in March, 2020. Tejada de Gomez says it’s uncertain if that decision will have an impact on American drivers. “The affect remains to be seen. Oil prices jumped about $4 week over week. It’s still trending about $59 per barrel to date. That starts up in 2020 so it remains to be seen,” she said.
If you want to save on gas, AAA recommends you use the Fuel Price Finder at aaa.com/fuelfinder to find the lowest prices in your community. The website aaa.com/mobile will have the lowest fuel prices along your travel route, and you can use FuelCostCalculator.AAA.com to help budget travel expenses. The auto club says you don’t need to be an AAA member to use these services.
“You can also make sure to slow down a little bit more. That helps to conserve your gas,” say Tejada de Gomez. “And as the weather gets colder, make sure you keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze ups.”
By Kevin McManus